Pet Food Recipes - Dog Treats

Bone a Fidos

Source: Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum

2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 pinch granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups cracked wheat
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup rye flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk (lightly spooned into the cup)
4 teaspoons kelp powder
4 cups beef or chicken broth

Glaze:
1 large egg

Equipment:
Cookie sheets lined with parchment or aluminum foil
Rolling pin
3 - 3 1/2-inch bone-shape cutter or 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Sprinkle the dry yeast over the water. Add a pinch of sugar and allow the yeast to sit in a draft-free spot for 10-20 minutes. The mixture should be full of bubbles. If not, the yeast is too old to be useful.

In a large bowl, place all the dry ingredients and stir to blend them. Add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the broth. Using your hands, in the bowl, mix to form the dough, adding more broth if needed to make the dough smooth and supple. Half a batch at a time, knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured counter. (Keep the second batch of dough covered with a moist towel while shaping and cutting the first.)

Roll out the dough into an 18 x 13 x 1/4-inch rectangle. Cut it into desired shapes, using a 3 - 3 1/2-inch bone cutter or a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll the scraps. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.

For an attractive shine, lightly beat together the egg and milk. Brush the glaze on the cookies. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until brown and firm. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom three quarters of the way through the baking period. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The dough must be used immediately. The baked cookies will keep for many months. Allow cookie sheets to cool completely between batches.